Drag-sawing machine



S. B. SMITH 8a A. O. FRENCH. Drag Sawing Machine.

No. 229,767. Patented July 6,1880.

NJEIERSA PHDTO-UTHOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON, D. C.

. UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL E. SMITH AND .ALONZO C. FRENCH, CF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

DRAG-SAWINIG M ACH'INE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 229,767, dated July 6,1880.

Application filed October 14, 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, SAMUEL E. SMITH and ALONZO C. FRENGH,bot-h ofCincinnati, Hamilton county, Ohio, have invented a new and usefulImprovementin Drag-Sawing Machines, of whichthe following is aspecification.

Our invention relates to improvements in those portable drag-sawingmachines in which the operators hands, acting on a suitable lever, areaided, by the action of his feet and by the weight of his bodyalternately, in producing the successive forward and backward strokes ofthe saw.

Our improvements include a peculiar arran gement of hand-lever,intermeshing segment-racks, a gravitating saddle having a sheave thatoccupies the bight of a cord attached to said lever and to one of thesegmentracks, and stirrups connected by straps to arcs upon saidsegment-rack for the feet of the operator.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View of adrag-sawing machine embodying our invention, the saw being shown in itsmost retracted position. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section, showing thesaw in its most protracted position. Fig. 3 is a perspective View of oneof the segment-racks. Fig. 4is an end elevation of our saw-couplin gstrap. Fig. 5 is a detail View of a stirrup and arc.

Ais an L-shaped frame, consisting of beams B, furnished at one end withlegs 0, and connected by cross-pieces D.

The beams B are, on their under sides remote from the legs C, armed withspurs E, whose office, when the machine is in use,-is to rest upon andpenetrate the log.

Attached to and extending upward from the same end of the frame is abrace, F, having a slot, f, to permit the play of the saw and to guidethe same into its proper path at the commencement of-its work in thelog.

The slotted portion is preferably formed of two cheeks, ff, both capableof being ad- 4 5 juste'd to afford a slot of the proper width andposition for the above-stated purpose.

J ournaled at G H in the frame are two intermeshing segment-racks, I J.Attached to the segment-rack I is a lever, K, whose upper extremity isprovided with handles L for the operator, and whose lower end isattached, by a suitable hinge,to a pitman, M, through which passes'thebolt N that constitutes the shank of a strap or clip, 0, which receivesand holds the heel of the saw-blade P. A nut, Q, enables the tighteningof the clip or strap 0.

Journaled at R in the legs 0 is the stem S of a seat or saddle, which isoccupied by the operator.

The segment-rack J has ascored hub, U, for attachment of a cord, V,which, being rove around a sheave, W, upon the saddle-stem S, terminatesin a chain, X, which is engaged by one or other of its links in a hook,it, on the lower limb of the lever K.

Attached to the segment-rack J are two arcs, Y Y, from which bands orstraps Z extend downward to stirrups 6 6, guided by the rocking arms 11, that are pivoted to the frame at a. The straps Z are provided withbuckles 2, which enable the lengthening or shortening of the straps, soas to adapt the machine to the dimensions of the operator.

The engagement of one or the other of the links X enables the shorteningor lengthening of the cord V and the consequent placing of the operatorsseat in a more or less elevated position. This feature enables themachine to be quickly adapted to the diameter of log to be operatedupon, the cord being shortened for a larger and lengthened for a smallerlog.

The peculiar attachment of the saw-blade to its operating-lever by meansof a pitman located wholly above the blade enables the blade to beoperated with greater advantage, and also to complete its work withoutcontact of either end with the ground.

The mode of attachment by the strap or clip 0 enables the ready andcomplete release of the saw-blade for any purpose and its easyreplacement.

3 represents a weight capable of being fastened to any desired part ofthe saw-blade by means of screws 4:. The blade affords areadymade slidefor the weight, which may be readily adjusted to any position along thesawblade, and may be easily removed therefrom whenever it may be deemednecessary or advisable to dispense with its use or remove it for otherreasons, as it will be only necessary in such case to loosen the screws4.

One or more hinged dogs, 5, may be provided for additional security.

Arcs coupled to one another by crossed metallic straps may be employedinstead of the gear-racks I J.

The operation of the machine is as follows: The 'machine being placedwith its spurred extremity resting upon the log to be sawed and theblade being in the retracted position, as in Fig. 1, the operator, beingseated upon the saddle T and having his feet resting in the stirrups 66, grasps the handles L L and draws the same toward him, at the sameinstant pressing the stirrups downward with his feet, placing most ofhis weight upon them. These actions operate, through the lever K andpitman M, to thrust the saw forward, and at the same time to elevate theseat to the position shown in Fig. 2, consequent on the connection ofthe seat with the lever K and segment J by means of the cord V andsheave W. The operator then, transferring his weight from the stirrupsto the seat and pushing the handles L away from him, brings theoperating members back to the position first mentioned. In thisretractile movement the depression of the seat is effected in part bythe weight of the operators person and in part by the backward stressexerted upon it in its capacity of yielding abutment to the thrust uponthe handles L.

It will be perceived that the straps Z and stirrups 6 6, at the forwardstroke of the saw, and the cord V, sheave W, and seat S T. at thebackward stroke, coact with the lever K to operate simultaneously onboth segments, thus equalizing their action, preventing friction andlost motion, and securing an easy balanced movement in both directionsof the stroke.

It will also be perceived that the seat S T, even in its most elevatedposition, as seen in Fig. 2, leans somewhat rearward, so as to enablethe weight of the operator to become promptly effective to co-operatewith the other members in retracting the saw.

We do not now lay claim to the novel saddle-formed or inverted-U-shapedgravity attachment 3 above described, as it is intended to make the samethe subject of another application for patent, the right to make whichis hereby reserved.

We claim as new and of our invention- In combination with theoperating-lever K, the intermeshing segments I J, with the arcprojections Y Y and pendent foot-straps Z, and the hinged saddle S T ofa drag-sawing machine, the sheave W upon the saddle-stem S, occupyingthe bight of a cord, V, which is fastened to the said lever and to oneof the segments, in the manner and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony of which invention we hereunto set our hands.

SAML. B. SMITH. ALONZO (J. FRENCH. Attest:

GEo. H. KNIGHT, D. HUMPHREYS.

